Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
'Talk of CNN'
Aired October 23, 2002 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Religious leaders, community officials and local authorities turned out for a vigil last night in Rockville, Maryland. Those attending the interfaith prayer service remembered Conrad Johnson. He is widely believed to be the sniper's 13th victim. The 35-year-old father of two was fatally shot about 24 hours ago as he began his day as a Montgomery County bus driver. After the shooting, dozens turned out to pray for all of the sniper victims and their families.
And officials asked everyone to continue praying that this violence will come to an end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON, D.C.: We will not rest until these acts of violence have been stopped. We stand together to speak with one voice and pray tonight for our region as we face the devastating impact of the shootings and other senseless violence in our community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: Today marks three weeks since the shootings began and our Elaine Quijano is joining us now with the very latest from the command center there in Montgomery County.
What is the latest from there?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Catherine.
Well, public schools remain open here in the Washington, D.C. area, but it will no doubt be a very tense school day here. This after officials yesterday released a chilling excerpt of a note left behind, believed to have been left behind by the sniper. Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose yesterday, he wanted to set the record straight, he said, with parents and the media. So that was part of his decision in releasing this excerpt. In essence what he said was that this was in the form of a postscript and the quote a chilling one. "Your children are not safe anywhere, at any time."
Now, later last night, Chief Moose went on to share another message. This time it was one from police directed at the killer, we believe, and this was just one of the series of mysterious communications that we have heard in recent days. This particular message talked about researching the option that this person had stated and saying that it was not possible to electronically comply with that request. However, Chief Moose went on to say that they are open and ready to discuss other options, obviously wanting to keep the lines of communication open, wanting to keep that dialogue going, also saying that violence was not necessary.
And we should point out, all of this is happening against the backdrop of more information that was released. Sources close to the investigation saying that note that was left behind in the woods down in Ashland, Virginia, south of Washington, D.C., also contained a demand for money and also a time line, saying that if authorities failed to act within that time line, there would be the threat of further violence -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you.
That's Elaine Quijano joining us from the command center in Montgomery County.
Thank you.
We're going to find out now how all of this is playing out with people who are living in that region with Jimmy Barrett.
He is with WRVA News Radio 1140 in Richmond, Virginia.
Good morning, Jimmy.
JIMMY BARRETT, WRVA RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Hey, how are you this morning?
CALLAWAY: I'm doing well. A tough day yesterday.
BARRETT: Well, it was a tough day yesterday. You know, I think we're trying to find levity wherever we can. There's a shop in Carringtown (ph), I kind of made them one of my losers of the day. Maybe I was a little hard on them, I'm not sure. But they're selling -- are you ready for this?
CALLAWAY: I don't know if I am.
BARRETT: Probably not. "Virginia Is For Snipers" T-shirts. You've heard the old tourism phrase "Virginia Is For Lovers?"
CALLAWAY: Right.
BARRETT: That's what they're selling. So I don't know, maybe people are walking around...
CALLAWAY: Well, consumers have a say. Just don't buy 'em.
BARRETT: Well, exactly right. And my guess is they'll do just fine.
I'm going to hold up for you the headline from today's paper. There you go. It talks about the sniper killing the Maryland man and it also talks about our local schools here, how they're all going to be open today. That decision was reached yesterday afternoon. And I think they finally, I think Stewart Roberson, who is the superintendent of Hanover schools, probably said it best when he said, you know, there's evil in the world and there's always going to be evil in the world and, you know, we can keep our schools closed forever, but quite frankly there's, you know, your children are as safe in our schools as they're going to be anywhere. And he's absolutely right.
CALLAWAY: You know, after hearing what Chief Moose said yesterday, quoting from that letter, it had to just put chills through everyone who is a parent there.
BARRETT: Well, that's true. But, you know, the phrase also said anywhere, anytime. So that doesn't make the schools anymore or any less safe than anywhere else. And in running around Richmond yesterday, I saw a lot of parents who had taken their day off. They were out with their children. But they're eating in restaurants and they're going to the mall, they're going out shopping.
CALLAWAY: Right.
BARRETT: We are all targets of this particular individual and it really doesn't matter where we are.
CALLAWAY: Yes, you never know where it's going to happen.
All right, Jimmy, thank you very much.
Jimmy Barrett, talk to you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 23, 2002 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Religious leaders, community officials and local authorities turned out for a vigil last night in Rockville, Maryland. Those attending the interfaith prayer service remembered Conrad Johnson. He is widely believed to be the sniper's 13th victim. The 35-year-old father of two was fatally shot about 24 hours ago as he began his day as a Montgomery County bus driver. After the shooting, dozens turned out to pray for all of the sniper victims and their families.
And officials asked everyone to continue praying that this violence will come to an end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON, D.C.: We will not rest until these acts of violence have been stopped. We stand together to speak with one voice and pray tonight for our region as we face the devastating impact of the shootings and other senseless violence in our community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: Today marks three weeks since the shootings began and our Elaine Quijano is joining us now with the very latest from the command center there in Montgomery County.
What is the latest from there?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Catherine.
Well, public schools remain open here in the Washington, D.C. area, but it will no doubt be a very tense school day here. This after officials yesterday released a chilling excerpt of a note left behind, believed to have been left behind by the sniper. Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose yesterday, he wanted to set the record straight, he said, with parents and the media. So that was part of his decision in releasing this excerpt. In essence what he said was that this was in the form of a postscript and the quote a chilling one. "Your children are not safe anywhere, at any time."
Now, later last night, Chief Moose went on to share another message. This time it was one from police directed at the killer, we believe, and this was just one of the series of mysterious communications that we have heard in recent days. This particular message talked about researching the option that this person had stated and saying that it was not possible to electronically comply with that request. However, Chief Moose went on to say that they are open and ready to discuss other options, obviously wanting to keep the lines of communication open, wanting to keep that dialogue going, also saying that violence was not necessary.
And we should point out, all of this is happening against the backdrop of more information that was released. Sources close to the investigation saying that note that was left behind in the woods down in Ashland, Virginia, south of Washington, D.C., also contained a demand for money and also a time line, saying that if authorities failed to act within that time line, there would be the threat of further violence -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you.
That's Elaine Quijano joining us from the command center in Montgomery County.
Thank you.
We're going to find out now how all of this is playing out with people who are living in that region with Jimmy Barrett.
He is with WRVA News Radio 1140 in Richmond, Virginia.
Good morning, Jimmy.
JIMMY BARRETT, WRVA RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Hey, how are you this morning?
CALLAWAY: I'm doing well. A tough day yesterday.
BARRETT: Well, it was a tough day yesterday. You know, I think we're trying to find levity wherever we can. There's a shop in Carringtown (ph), I kind of made them one of my losers of the day. Maybe I was a little hard on them, I'm not sure. But they're selling -- are you ready for this?
CALLAWAY: I don't know if I am.
BARRETT: Probably not. "Virginia Is For Snipers" T-shirts. You've heard the old tourism phrase "Virginia Is For Lovers?"
CALLAWAY: Right.
BARRETT: That's what they're selling. So I don't know, maybe people are walking around...
CALLAWAY: Well, consumers have a say. Just don't buy 'em.
BARRETT: Well, exactly right. And my guess is they'll do just fine.
I'm going to hold up for you the headline from today's paper. There you go. It talks about the sniper killing the Maryland man and it also talks about our local schools here, how they're all going to be open today. That decision was reached yesterday afternoon. And I think they finally, I think Stewart Roberson, who is the superintendent of Hanover schools, probably said it best when he said, you know, there's evil in the world and there's always going to be evil in the world and, you know, we can keep our schools closed forever, but quite frankly there's, you know, your children are as safe in our schools as they're going to be anywhere. And he's absolutely right.
CALLAWAY: You know, after hearing what Chief Moose said yesterday, quoting from that letter, it had to just put chills through everyone who is a parent there.
BARRETT: Well, that's true. But, you know, the phrase also said anywhere, anytime. So that doesn't make the schools anymore or any less safe than anywhere else. And in running around Richmond yesterday, I saw a lot of parents who had taken their day off. They were out with their children. But they're eating in restaurants and they're going to the mall, they're going out shopping.
CALLAWAY: Right.
BARRETT: We are all targets of this particular individual and it really doesn't matter where we are.
CALLAWAY: Yes, you never know where it's going to happen.
All right, Jimmy, thank you very much.
Jimmy Barrett, talk to you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
